Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy and president of the ruling National Conference Dr Farooq Abdullah filed his nomination papers from the prestigious Srinagar parliamentary constituency on Monday. The constituency goes to polls on April 30.

Senior leaders of the ruling National Conference and Congress including state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and state Congress president Saif-ud-Din Soz accompanied Abdullah to the returning officer's office in Srinagar.

Abdullah, a sitting member of Parliament from the constituency is the ruling National Conference-Congress coalition candidate from the constituency. As part of the seat sharing agreement between the two parties, the NC has fielded its candidates on the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir, while Congress has fielded its candidates from the two seats in Jammu and the lone seat in Ladakh region.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party has fielded Tariq Hamid Kara as its candidate from the Srinagar constituency. The main contest for the polls will be between Abdullah and Karra.

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has already filed his nomination papers from the Udhampur-Doda constituency. Azad is contesting the election for the first time from his home constituency.

Image: Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy and president of the ruling National Conference Dr Farooq Abdullah with son and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and state Congress president Saif-ud-Din Soz at the returning officer's office in Srinagar.